Conflagration
by LostAngel0001
Summary: See first page: Summary! I have a long one, so I put it as a whole page! Short version: Kenshin gets attacked out of nowhere by an assassin. He witnessed something a long time ago that has marked him for death now. I suck at short summaries . . .OOC!
1. SummaryDisclaimer Required Reading!

Conflagration

**A '**_**Rurouni Kenshin' **_**Fan Fiction**

**By Lost Angel 0001**

**Summary:**

One summer day, out of nowhere, Himura Kenshin is attacked by an unknown assassin. Though he escapes unharmed, he finds that it is not just a random attack. He is not out of danger. In fact, he is thrown right into the middle of it.

**Beneath the Mask**

In the darkness, a ghost from his past comes to the dojo, searching for him. Katamori Katsuki is also a former hitokiri, and alerts Kenshin that his life and the lives of his new "family" are at risk from a man Kenshin believes is dead, long dead. But he is not, and now holds more influence than Kenshin can believe.

**Haunting Past**

Neither Katsuki nor Kenshin are hitokiri anymore. But to protect the ones they care about and save their own lives, can they lay aside their past and become killers again?

In the vacuum left from the Bakumatsu, can two people find their lost peace?

_**:::::DISCLAIMER:::::**_

I do not own Kenshin, or any of the characters except for my very own Katamori Katsuki! The universe of Rurouni Kenshin is express property of the venerable Nobuhiro Watsuki! I love his work, and would never steal his fine work. I am only borrowing his characters for my story.


	2. Prologue:The Fires of Hell

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN RuroKen!!!!

Will accept any reviews, but I don't mind if I get nothing. I am writing for fun, not for adoration of the masses. Flames will be laughed at.

**Prologue: The Fires of Hell**

'_The forest is rather quiet at this time of night. It's peaceful_.'

Kenshin walked softly through the undergrowth, taking his time. '_I don't have to be back to Katsura-sama quite yet. I want to enjoy this time, that I do_.' He smiled a little when he saw a small rodent scamper across his path. '_There is no hurry for me, that there isn't_.'

He had been walking for a good hour when he caught the first hint of trouble. A shrill whistle cut through the night air. '_Police?_' No. Couldn't be. Not this far out. Kenshin forgot about his walk and headed in the direction that the sound came from. As he neared, the shouts and screams reached his ears, and he narrowed his eyes. '_There is a village that I passed in this direction, that there is. I need to go see what is going on_.' He poured on the speed. When he reached the edge of the clearing he had passed, he halted. What he saw, could not be happening.

The villagers were all gathered in the town square, or what could be called as such. It was more like a gap in the small buildings. He recognized some of the rebels in the group that was keeping the people in a tight group. Bound up at the feet of the biggest rebel were three Shinsengumi swordsmen. They looked dead.

'_Perhaps the village sympathizes with the Shinsengumi. Wouldn't be the first time. But usually Katsura-sama gives a huge speech about the wrongs of the Bakufu and leaves with the swordsmen, that he does. What is going on _here_ doesn't make _

_sense_.' He watched as a man was pulled out of the crowd of villagers and thrown to the ground in front of . . . Haname. That was his name. Haname-sama. The big rebel looked down and said something that the small hitokiri could not hear. The villager trembled in fear, and Haname laughed loudly. He gestured, and the man was pulled into a kneeling position in front of the rebel. Haname pulled his katana.

Kenshin's eyes bugged. '_What! No, this is NOT happening_!' But before he could shout or even move, the sword swept down and the poor man's head was lopped off at the neck. Kenshin could not believe it.

"NO!" The word came out of his mouth unbidden. Haname turned and spotted Kenshin. All he did was smile. Kenshin could not abide by this! He had to do -

CRACK!

The hitokiri never heard the man behind him, and before he passed out from the blow to his head, he heard Haname yell, "Burn this village to the ground, and these traitors with it!"

No . . .

Blackness.

Kenshin woke up to the sounds of Hell. Screaming, crying, calls for help . . .

He got up and wobbled, his head throbbing. Why was it so hot? He turned to the clearing and cried out in horror. Fire! The houses were burning! The hot wind brought with it the smells of the fire, smoke and . . . burning flesh.

"Oh, kami . . . " Kenshin threw up. He wiped his arm over his mouth and ran to the village. Maybe he could help! He was only a boy, but maybe, just maybe . . . He got to the first building he heard screams from, only to watch it collapse, the screams halting. But more replaced them as he ran through, trying to find something, anything to put the fires out. But there was nothing. Not even the well. The bucket had been sent to the bottom and left there. Kenshin saw the severed rope, and a cold hatred seeped into his soul as he gripped the edge of the well.

'_Haname . . . I have a feeling that this was not sanctioned by Katsura-sama. Cold blooded murder, that's what this is. He will not get away with this, that he won't! Not while I'm alive!' _The smoke was starting to get to the young man, and he had to get to a clearer spot. He saw a child screaming in a window of a house that was nearly burned to the ground. '_I can at least save one,' _he thought as he ran towards the house and into it. He was greeted by an inferno. Despite his heart breaking, he had to retreat. _'DAMN IT!'_ He collapsed in the middle of the road, his skin raw and burnt. '_Oh Kami . . . I can't save them! No . . . ' _He threw up again, but this time from his emotions. " I can't save them, I can't . . . rest their souls . . . HANAME!" The full throated scream came from the bottom of his horrified and enraged soul. "HANAME! I swear, on this village, you will PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! You hear me, you cold son of a BITCH! You hear me, HANAME!"

"Kenshin! Wake up, Ken-"

Kenshin jerked awake and shot up into a sitting position. His chest was heaving, sweat was pouring down his skin, and his eyes were wide and gold. "Haname . . . that son of a bitch . . . " He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A hand went to his forehead, pushing red locks back from his face. When he opened his eyes again, they were violet and calm. He finally saw Sanosuke and Yahiko kneeling by his futon. "Sano. Yahiko." He took another calming breath, and his chest stopped heaving. "Thank you for waking this one."

"Hell, you were having one terrible nightmare! You kept screaming and coughing, and you were cursing the name of a . . . 'Haname'." Yahiko shrugged. "Whoever that guy is."

Kenshin closed his eyes. "Yahiko, it wasn't a dream."

Sanosuke touched the older man's shoulder. "It wasn't? It sounded like one."

"Oh, if only it was, Sano. No. It was a memory."

Yahiko's eyes grew large. "Oh, my God! I'm-we're sorry!"

"It's okay, guys. This one is fine now. Let's just say that Haname got what was coming to him, that he did. And the village was avenged. So it is only a terrible memory." The red haired man paused. "But one that has not haunted this one for a long time, since the execution of Haname Goji. Why has it come back now?"

'_The last time a memory came back to haunt me like this, Enishi came and tried to murder all of us. This does not bode well, that it does not.'_


	3. Chapter One: One Fine Day, In Tokyo

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KENSHIN (though it would be interesting . . . hmm...a leash, perhaps? o.O)**

**Chapter One: One Fine Day, In Tokyo**

"Come on, Kaoru, we'll be late!" Yahiko slipped on his sandals and knocked on the door. "Kaoru! C'mon!"

Kenshin smiled. "It is such a beautiful day, isn't it, Sano? This one is glad we are going to the Akabeko for food, instead of eating at home, that he is!"

Sanosuke grinned. "Yeah, 'cuz Jou-chan's cooking is eventually going to kill us faster than enemies, right?"

WHACK!

"Oro!" Kenshin sweatdropped as Kaoru left a triple stacked bump on Sanosuke's head. "Hello, Kaoru-dono!"

WHACK!

"I heard what YOU said, too, little man!"

"Orororororo! T-T-This one meant that since this day is so beautiful that a walk to the Akabeko would be nice!" The red haired swordsman rubbed his own bump. "That's all!"

"Yeah, whatever. Come on! We are going to be late!" Yahiko seemed more excited that usual. He ran out of the gate ahead of everyone else. Kenshin smiled.

"This one wonders what Yahiko's hurry is, that he does."

Sanosuke looked at him. "Wow, you have been out of the loop. Tsubame's working right now, and those two have hooked up!"

"Really? That is really good news. This one is glad that you told him when it happened." Kenshin shook his head. "Anyway, Kaoru-dono, do you have classes today?"

She laughed. "Yeah, later. Will you sit in on it, or are you going to find 'something to do'?"

"This one will probably find something to do so that he does not impose, that he will. Remember what happened the last time that this one sat in on one of your classes? Your students all wanted this one to teach, that they did. It was not very fun for you, was it?"

Kaoru sighed. "No, I guess it wasn't."

At the Akabeko, they were seated and served by Tsubame, who couldn't stop blushing and touching Yahiko "-kun". He, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at her as she was working. Sanosuke shook his head and went to find Tae-san, his current interest. When Yahiko couldn't stand it any longer, he went to bother Tsubame. Kenshin and Kaoru were left at the table alone. They ate in comfortable silence.

The walk home was rather uneventful, except for Yahiko getting chased around for calling Kaoru 'ugly' and Sanosuke's story of what he and Tae were doing in the kitchen. Which must not have been as bad as it sounded because Sanosuke came away from it with a new roasted fish recipe that he just HAD to try that night because it sounded so good! Kenshin smiled through it all, but paused when he felt a strange . . . presence. He could not explain it, and everyone thought that he was starting to go senile in his 'old age', which got a chuckle out of everyone. He only sweatdropped and forgot about the feeling that he was being watched.

After they got back to the dojo, Kaoru went into her room to get changed for her Kamiya Kasshin Ryu classes that afternoon. Kenshin took the opportunity to do some training of his own. Yahiko and Sanosuke sat to watch their friend in the dojo. Ever since he had learned Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu's final secret, Kenshin had been training when he could to control his power better. Learning the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki had increased his speed dramatically, and with his new found will to live, he was immensely more powerful. Now that he was back to himself, he had to learn to control it, or he could easily hurt someone in a fight. So he meditated for a while and then began his practice. This new Kenshin could and would kill to protect his family and friends, but not willingly. To avoid accidentally killing someone, he needed to adjust his strength to match his will. He faced the dummy in the middle of the floor. Taking a couple deep breaths, he lowered into the Battojustu stance. '_Okay, first this one wants to see what he is capable of, that he does. Full force Battojutsu Soryusen._' He narrowed his eyes and saw Saito Hajime standing in front of him. Perfect. Kenshin grinned.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Battojutsu - Soryusen!" His kiai rang through the dojo and he hit the dummy with his sakabato. On the follow-through, he brought the metal sheath around, aiming for the same spot his sword had landed, and hit nothing but air. Crouched, facing the opposite direction, he thought about the strike. _' The sheath should have hit the dummy. Unless this one knocked it out the window . . .'_ He turned to see the dummy cut in half. His eyes bugged.

"Uh . . . " He turned to his friends, who were sitting in shock. "This one _does_ have a sakabato, correct?" He looked at his sword. Yep. Sakabato. "Well. That would explain the second strike not hitting anything, now wouldn't it?" Kenshin looked sheepishly at the top half of the dummy. "Sano, find this one another dummy, would you, please?" He shook his head as Sanosuke laughed and left the dojo.

'_This one really needs to hone his skills. Now, perhaps, something a little less lethal would be in order. Same technique, but this time without the death of the dummy.'_

Sanosuke came back with another dummy and placed it where the ex-dummy once stood. "This one cried for mercy when I grabbed it. Maybe you might want to take pity on the poor thing, Kenshin." He laughed and sat back down. Kenshin smiled.

"Perhaps this one shall." He lowered into the Battojutsu stance once more.

This time, there was only an inarticulate yell from the former hitokiri as he struck the dummy with the Soryusen. This time, the sheath hit the dummy and knocked it over. Kenshin stood and sheathed his sword. "Same speed, less damage. That is what this one needs to learn in order not to kill, that he does."

Yahiko nodded. "Yeah. No more dummy murders will go on your conscience, Kenshin." They all laughed at that.

Kaoru came into the room. "Kenshin, my first students are here!" She froze when she saw one of the training dummies lying in two pieces on the floor of the dojo and Kenshin looking very innocent. "KENSHIN!"

"ORO!" Let the crazy chase commence.

Sanosuke laughed like a banshee. "HA! Kenshin, run! Run for your life! Kaoru is coming to avenge the death of Dummy-sama! Run!"

WHACK! "Damn it, second concussion of the day."

After the scuffle, Sanosuke bid everyone farewell. He had to go visit some 'friends' at one of the gambling parlors in town. While Kaoru taught her class, Kenshin decided to go and begin the laundry. It helped him focus the thoughts in his head, and it also kept him out of the way. Now that he was no longer a wanderer, he had to find things to do, so as to not look like a simple freeloader, like Sanosuke.

'_Heh. If things were only that simple for this one.' _He filled the pail with water from the well and began scrubbing the bed clothes. '_With Kaoru-dono busy with classes, this one has much to do, that he does. He went from the most feared swordsman in Japan to nothing more than a glorified housemaid.'_ That thought made him laugh. _'This one wonders if this is what fate has planned for him.'_

He was shaken from his thoughts by a tiny sound. It could have been a leaf skittering across the boards, or it could have been the breeze blowing over the tiles on the roof. But Kenshin was absolutely certain the sound was from a foot scraping on the ground, because the noise stopped. A leaf could not care if someone heard its travels, nor could the wind.

But a person, on the other hand, would.

'_Sano and Yahiko would never sneak up behind this one, that they would not. This one can also hear class in session still.'_

Kenshin's sword barely whispered as he thumbed it out.

Kamiya Kaoru stood in front of her class of seven with a satisfied smirk on her face. Her dojo had grown since Kenshin had publicly challenged her to a fight on the riverbank one month ago. 'Of all the opponents this one has defeated,' he had said, 'not one had used Kamiya Kasshin Ryu.' He seemed tired of being the observer; his swordsman's spirit had been reawakened, and he wanted to see what her style could do against an ancient, battle proven sword style. Amazing that a little word of mouth (Sano) would bring such a crowd to watch the spar! And though Kenshin ultimately won, Kaoru had held her ground. She even got to shock him when she forced him to use his Ryutsuisen and beat it with her own technique, Hadome. It was too bad that he had moved too quick to use Hawatari, but then, Kenshin was a real swordsman. That was expected, really. So she lost the spar, but when people saw her style hold its own against Hiten Mitsurugi, they flocked to learn it. Most washed out during the first week, but she retained twelve students that practiced three times a week. She had them on a day on/ day off schedule. Today

was Monday, so she had the younger students.

"Okay! That is good for the blocks! Now, we are going to move on to the swings. Today, we will focus on an overhead slash. I want everyone in position and practicing for ten minutes. I will walk around to assist. Begin!"

The dojo filled with the sounds of kiai and shinai swishing through the air. The first student in line was her pride, Myojin Yahiko. For his size and age, he was incredibly strong. Possibly stronger than Kenshin was as a boy. His overhead swings were perfect. Of course, he was actually in the advanced class, but the boy trained every day, twice a day. She walked past him with a smile. When she was behind him, Yahiko allowed himself a small smirk.

One of her students was facing the window as he practiced. She was about to walk past him since he was doing so well, but a startled yelp gave her pause. "Kamiya-sensei!"

"What is it, Choji-san?"

"Look outside!"

She turned to the window and gasped in shock. Kenshin was getting attacked! Now more people were behind her, trying to see. Yahiko ducked underneath her arm and stared. "We gotta do something, Kaoru!" He ran to the door.

Kenshin turned just as the blade of a katana sliced through the air. Spinning and ducking beneath it, he rolled to get clear of the attack and put working distance between him and his opponent. The man towered over him, all muscle and brawn, and his sword was just as large. '_He has a long reach, which equals both lots of room to swing and a large blind spot. This one might be able to -'_ He moved quickly to avoid being sliced in half and blocked another attempt to behead him. When the enemy's sword hit Kenshin's, the red haired man winced as the shock of the impact reverberated down his arms. "Shit -" Kenshin pushed against the sword and jumped back to gain more room. The man followed, and Kenshin saw his opening. He took it. He quickly sheathed his sword and dropped into his Battojutsu stance. "Kyaaah!"

His full throated scream froze the attacker in the middle of slashing down at the former hitokiri's head. Unfortunately for the man, he was now within range of the Battojutsu. Kenshin's sakabato struck the man in the ribs and sent him flying twenty feet back, into the wash. As Kenshin's carefully assembled laundry operation came crashing down, he sheathed his sword. By this time, Yahiko made it outside, and he went over to the unknown attacker and knelt to check if he was still awake. If the strangled yelp that jumped out of the boy's throat was any indication, the man was indeed still conscious. He had grabbed a hold on Yahiko's shirt, but a quick whack from the shinai that the boy still held onto solved that problem. As the intruder passed out, Yahiko stood back up and walked to where Kenshin still stood, thinking. By now, Kaoru had sent her students back to training and came outside. Kenshin turned to Yahiko.

"Yahiko, go get Sano, would you please?"

The boy grumbled. "Che! Why him?"

"Because he is the policeman on duty, and we need to report this to the authorities, that we do." Kaoru looked at the red head. His eyes were still a fiery gold. '_It sounds like the Kenshin we all know, but his eyes tell a different story.'_

"Kenshin? Are you okay?"

Kenshin glanced up quickly at her. "Oro?"

"Who is this guy?"

He paused. "This one does not think that he knows him, but whomever he his, it does not bode well, that it does not."

"Why not?" Yahiko cocked his head to the side. "You just kicked his butt!"

Kenshin knelt to pick up the man's katana and turned it over in his hands. It was heavy, and the nicks in the blade told of heavy use. The hilt had small spots where dried blood had accumulated. '_This can not be good at all.' _

"Because this man is an assassin. And this one thinks that this man was sent to kill him personally."


	4. Chapter Two: Of Blood and Horrors

**Chapter Two: Of Blood and Horrors**

Saito stood over the unconscious assassin, smoking the first of many cigarettes.

"Yes. He's definitely an assassin, sent after you." He shook the folded paper that he had found in the man's pocket. "Question is," he turned to Kenshin, "why did he come after you now? I mean, this has all the earmarks of an assassination attempt. Look at this document. It has your name, address, what clothes you wear, what road you and the girl like to travel on . . . it seems that someone has been following you around, Himura."

"It seems so. Just today, this one had a feeling that he was being watched, but wrote it off as jangled nerves, that he did. This one could give you a hundred and one reasons why someone, somewhere, would want this one's death. But none make sense, do they?"

Saito closed his eyes. "Not really, no. Shishio's dead, Kanryuu's in jail, Seta's nuts, Enishi's finished . . . who else? Who else has a grudge against the Battosai?" He shook his head.

"You, perhaps?"

Wolf of Mibu looked at hitokiri. "No. I just want to finish the fight we started. But that seems impossible now, so I've pretty much dropped it."

"This one means the Shinsengumi."

Saito smiled around his cigarette. "I'm the only one of the captains left alive that have actually fought you personally. Even then, no. No grudges."

Kenshin shrugged. "Just a thought."

"Maybe one of your own?"

For a second, Kenshin flashed back to the burning village. He shook his head to ward off the memory. "Considering what they did to Shishio, I would not put it past them."

Saito nodded. "Very true."

The unconscious man groaned, gaining the two swordsmen's attention.

"Maybe we will get the answers we need, Himura."

"Maybe."

Kaoru had made tea for the men and Yahiko, and sat down to have hers when a shouted curse made her drop her cup.

"What the - " She got up and headed outside.

Kenshin paced the yard, muttering under his breath. Saito watched the man who attacked Kenshin and the red head at the same time, puffing away on his cigarette.

"What happened?" Kaoru smiled when Kenshin looked at her. His violet eyes were still there, but he looked . . . confused?

"Oro?" He didn't quite sound like himself, either.

"I heard you curse, Kenshin! I never hear you curse. Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no! No, Kaoru-dono. Nothing is wrong. This one is sorry to disturb you." He placed an innocent look on his face. "You can go back in, Kaoru-dono. Everything is okay."

"Okay." She smiled even more and went back inside. But she did not fall for it, not for one second. After she shut the door, she hid behind it and listened. Sure enough, she heard Kenshin curse again. Saito grumbled something, and then the dialogue started.

Kenshin waited until she was gone, then cursed again. "Damn it! What kind of cryptic information was that, Saito!? 'I was sent because you know too much?' What the hell is that? This is really starting to irritate this one, that it is. What can he mean?"

Saito sat down on a tree stump. "I don't know, Himura. It's as frustrating to you as it is to me."

"This one really can't think - " _The screams of the villagers reached his ears . . . the smell of burning flesh . . . the child in the window . . . the village of . . . Toko. The fire licking at him as he tried to save the child . . . had to turn back . . . too far . . . _

Kenshin somehow made it to the camp at midnight. His comrades backed away from the young boy; he had murder in his eyes. He staggered into Katsura Kogoro's tent; smudged with soot, burned, and bloody from his head wound. "HANAME! Where the FUCK is Haname! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch . . . where is he? WHERE IS HE!" His voice was hoarse from the smoke, and his eyes were blood shot and wild with hate. Katsura had been in a meeting with some of the captains, but he shooed them out and ushered the young red head in. "Someone send for the medic, now! Kenshin-kun, calm down. Breathe. Just breathe. You need water, and sit down. Where have you been? You are over two hours late! And what's all of this about Haname-san?"

Kenshin quivered, his adrenaline and anger finally wearing down. "Katsura-sama, I am sorry for the intrusion, that I am. But where is Haname?"

"I don't know. He did not show up for his debriefing tonight. I was about to send a search party out for him. But what about you? I sent Hoji-san and Chizuro-san out to find you. I feared you had gotten lost in the forest."

"I was taking my time coming back. I needed to rest, that I did. But that all ended when I heard a whistle . . ." Kenshin told his commander what he had witnessed, and tried to do. After he was done, Katsura was in a foul mood.

"This is not what the revolutionaries stand for, young man. You can be sure that I will do something about this . . . "

At that moment, Chizuro and Hoji pushed through the flap. "Katsura-sama! Toko has been burned down! Do you think it was the Shinsengumi?"

Katsura shook his head. "No, the Shinsengumi would never do this. In fact, I know who did. Have any of you seen Haname-san?"

"No, sir!"

"Find him." The medic pushed past the men in the doorway. "Sasuke-san. See to Kenshin-san." The commander turned to the young boy. "Kenshin. Get some rest. I will see to Haname. Your part is over. Worry about yourself right now. You did the right thing."

'_Did I really? Or should have I died trying to save that child?' _

"Hey, Battosai! Kenshin!"

SLAP!

Kenshin blinked, and suddenly he was back in Tokyo. He took a shaky breath and rubbed his cheek where he was slapped. Saito peered down into his eyes. "Hey. Welcome back to the real world, you idiot. I was just telling you that there is something I just thought of."

"What is that?"

"What of Aoshi?"

Kenshin stared at the Wolf. "No. The former Oniwanbanshu _okashira_ would have tried it himself, and besides . . . this one thinks he knows what is happening."

Saito glared at the smaller man. _' Something's wrong with him. He is so pale right now. Maybe he was having a flashback to the past, like I sometimes do.'_ He sighed. "Okay, Himura. Spill. I don't have all day." Saito lit another cigarette.

"Toko."

Saito nearly choked on the cigarette and stared at Kenshin. "TOKO? What the hell does a burned down village have to do with someone trying to kill you?" The tone in his voice indicated that Toko was anything but just a 'burned down village'.

"This one . . . was there, witnessed it, and saw who ordered it."

In a split second, the former hitokiri was three feet off the ground, held by his neck, and slammed into the wall of the dojo by an enraged Wolf of Mibu. "What!? YOU were there!? Why the HELL didn't you try to stop it!"

"Saito!" Yahiko stood next to Kaoru. They had come out when Saito had slapped Kenshin. Now they stared at the man. "What are you doin'?"

Saito ignored them. His attention was on Kenshin, who looked him straight in the face. The red head's eyes were full of horror and guilt. Saito's own tearing eyes were reflected in Kenshin's golden ones.

"This one tried, Saito." His voice cracked, and tears began to fall. "I couldn't save them . . . I tried, I really did, Saito . . . "

Saito relinquished his hold on the red head, and Kenshin slid to the ground, his knees refusing to carry his weight. Kaoru ran to his side and grabbed his hand.

"I tried. I went to the well for water, but the son of a bitch cut the rope. I went house to house to god damned house, searching for someone, ANYONE - I saw a little boy in a window, and I ran into that house, but I had to get out. The fire was too intense . . . I couldn't save them, any of them!" Kenshin's slim shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. "I wanted to. I was there before they burned it all down. I was hidden in the forest, I saw Haname behead a villager; they had all the townspeople in the clearing, and made them watch!" Saito's eyes widened, and he put a calming hand on Kenshin's shoulder. He couldn't say anything. He himself had only heard about three of his comrades dying in the Toko inferno, along with the villagers. Now he would find out how. But to hear it like this . . . how old would have Kenshin been to witness this and have it affect him this badly? The man was crying hysterically. Rule of thumb: Kenshin does NOT cry. Everyone knows that. But here he was. Saito really felt for Kenshin at this point.

"I couldn't stop myself from crying out against it. I knew it was wrong. But I couldn't stop it. They knocked me out and left me there. They left me there to die! I was well within the range of the fire. I woke to the heat. I ran to the village to try to help." He calmed down and took a deep, shaky breath. "I already had a concussion, and I couldn't do much. So I ran. Saito, I was only 14! I had just made my third kill of my life. I was walking in the forest to clear my head. I hadn't planned on running across a mass murder! Kami, I was so afraid, and furious. I went straight to base camp, and I was out for blood, that I was. Katsura-sama calmed me down and told me that he would take care of that bastard Haname." Kenshin touched Kaoru's hand and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "And he did. Two weeks later, I got news that Haname Goji was beheaded for his crimes. A fitting end to that monster, though I would have been happier if he would have been burned alive, like those villagers." Finally, Kenshin stood up. He brushed off his hakamas and looked at Saito with bright violet eyes. "That is the moment that I decided to start pushing aside my emotions."

Yahiko just stood, shocked at the admissions Kenshin was suddenly making. Kenshin started walking towards the door to the dojo. "I think whomever is after me is tied with the Toko massacre. Actually, I am sure of it. I am going to put an end to this madness. Saito, come with me. Yahiko, go find Sanosuke. Tell him to get here as soon as he can. I need to contact Aoshi-sama."

Saito glared at him. "You have a plan?"

"One is forming, yes. I will explain later, when Sanosuke is here."

"Great. Just great."

Yahiko smiled. "I'm leavin' to get Sano! Man, will he be happy to find that the Kenshin-gumi is back together!"

As Yahiko ran out the gate, the two men and Kaoru were left scratching their heads.

"Kenshin-gumi?" Saito asked.

Kenshin only shrugged and entered the dojo. Kaoru looked at Saito and started to say something, but he waved her off.

"Yeah. I noticed, too. He's not using 'this one' anymore."


	5. Chapter Three: Decisive Actions

**Chapter Three: Decisive Actions**

In a dark room, somewhere in Tokyo, a man sat quietly, waiting for something. He sat for what seemed like hours. His peace broke when a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The rice paper door slid open, revealing a figure backlit by the candles behind it. The figure walked forward a couple steps and knelt down into a sitting position. The shadow's three swords clanked together as it sat. Silence reigned for a moment.

"I have a task for you."

The figure, face shadowed, nodded once. "Do you have the information for me?" The soft alto voice carried well in the darkness, and the first man smiled.

"Of course, _hitokiri._" A folded paper passed between the two, and the figure stood once more, bowed, and backed out. The man was left alone once more. His smile was filled with scorn. "Another tame Wolf. How convenient."

Outside of the building, the figure shook its head and looked up. Soft green eyes belied the horrific abilities of this man. His black hair cascaded down his back in a loose ponytail. He unfolded the paper his new boss gave him and read it, frowning. His eyes widened minutely.

"So, Himura Kenshin. You are alive and well in the Meiji Era. But we shall meet again, and this time, not to kill each other. I must warn you of this plot."

He turned on his heel and walked as the directions showed him, the small symbol of the Shinsengumi woven into the back of his haori.

_Sanosuke_ arrived at around 9:00pm, excited to be part of something 'interesting' again. He had been so bored that he started selling fights again, just for something to do, not to mention a little income. After a late dinner, he and Yahiko went to their room to get some sleep. Kenshin and Saito sat up outside to talk about the plan for the new problem. Once again, Kaoru sat by the door to listen in on the older men.

Saito sat back and ground out his cigarette. "Okay, Himura. What's this plan of yours?"

"It is simple, if it goes right. Since whomever is after me now is willing to kill me to silence me, earlier I sent a message by pigeon to the Oniwanbanshu base in Kyoto addressed to Misao-dono and Aoshi-san. I am going to have Misao-dono send out her intelligence assets to find out who exactly is after me, that I am. Aoshi-sama, if he accepts, will be finding a reputable sword-smith to make me a few swords. A katana and wakazashi for me; and two sakabato for Kaoru-dono and Yahiko, if my plan backfires or if I am killed before I can put it into action, which I highly doubt will happen."

"Wait. Swords for the girl and the kid? Are you kidding me?"

Kenshin sighed. "No. Yahiko has already proved to me that he is ready for one. And Kaoru-dono is very good. It will only take a short time to train them on the sakabato, that it will. Can I finish, please?"

"Sure. Whatever."

"Thank you. As I was saying, Aoshi-san will be doing this tomorrow. During this time, if Misao-dono finds anything worth acting on, I will have Sanosuke get a hold of his friend from the Sekihotai, Tsukioka Katsuhiro."

Saito held up a hand, pausing the red head again. "Why him?"

"Well, he now runs an underground revolutionary newspaper touting the wrongs of the Meiji government. He would be a perfect medium to get my story out there, if need be, that is."

"You plan on using what you witnessed as a - what? A bargaining chip? Blackmail?"

"Call it what you will. But this will only work if this person holds a government position, which I am taking a chance and saying that he does, because what good would killing me do if what I know would not hurt a career?"

Saito grinned. "I like the way you think, Himura. That actually makes sense. This person indeed has to be in the government."

"He is, Wolf!" A strange voice floated over the still night air. Both swordsmen jumped up and turned towards the sound. Outside the gate, Saito could feel five distinctive ki signatures.

"Our second wave, Battosai?" Saito looked at the smaller man.

Kenshin nodded. "That was quick. Either he hired more than one, or this man has spies."

The newcomers broke open the gate and charged inside, halting just inside the gate. The Shinsengumi captain and the Ishin Shishi hitokiri drew steel. Kenshin narrowed his eyes into his distinctive death glare.

"I am only going to say this once. Please leave this property now if you do not wish to get hurt."

The only response he got was laughter. Saito sighed. "You warned them."

"Yes, that I did. They must be dense if they think they can take us on."

Kenshin shifted into a Hiten Mitsurugi stance as Saito slid his right foot out in the Gatotsu stance. "There will be no quarter given."

The two Bakumatsu survivors attacked.

Sanosuke was jolted awake by the sounds of battle in the yard.

"Oh, crap! More assassins!" He flew out of bed, dressed only in his bed clothes, and rushed to the windows overlooking the yard. He found Kaoru already watching the fight. "Jou-chan! What's happening? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, Sano. This mystery guy only sent five men."

"That's okay?!"

"Yes. Saito's still here."

Sanosuke relaxed. "Oh." He moved next to the dojo master and looked out the window. "Five assassins against the two scariest men I ever had the guts to look upon. Those idiots don't stand a chance." He glanced down to Kaoru. "Oh, by the way, why is Kenshin getting attacked again?"

Kaoru sighed. "He witnessed a mass murder during the Bakumatsu. Someone is trying to silence him because he 'knows too much'."

Sanosuke's fists tightened, knuckles creaking. "I hate this! I want to help - " The two friends jumped as a bloody man slammed against the wall just outside of the window, propelled by Saito's sword.

"Guys, I think that we are helping by stayin' out of their way." Yahiko had come to watch, too.

"Yeah," Sanosuke nodded, "I know."

The battle was over in a matter of minutes. Kenshin sheathed his sword as Saito flicked the gore off of his.

"Two dead and three wounded. Not too bad for your 'no kill' ideals." Saito smirked as he lit a cigarette. Kenshin snorted.

"I'm not too worried about 'ideals' anymore, Saito. Besides, we can't interrogate the dead, you idiot. I'm just glad you left a couple for me."

The Wolf glared at the red head. "You wanna go right now, Battosai?"

"Not now, Saito. One's waking up." Kenshin walked over to the well where the moaning man lay and nudged the body. "Wakey, wakey!" He kicked the man harder, and he shifted an arm. "There we go. Wake up. I've got some questions for you to answer. If you answer correctly, I will let you go. If you don't, I will have the Oniwanbanshu ask you the same questions. But after they are done with you, you will not have much time left to run; if, indeed, you learn to run again after they slice your legs off at the knee."

Saito stared at the man before him. '_That is about the most horrific thing I have ever heard him say._' He noticed that Kenshin's voice had changed, too. '_This is the Battosai, coming out to say hello. It has to be. Kenshin is trying to scare the guy into talking._'

The would-be assassin shook uncontrollably as he looked up, through his one good eye, at the cold golden eyes of the hitokiri.

"I-I-I don't know anythin', man! I was just sent here to kill you! I swear! Please don't kill me! Please!" The man started blubbering, begging for his life. Kenshin sadly shook his head.

"Coward. He's telling the truth," he told Saito. "He knows nothing."

Saito, unfortunately, had figured as much. "Now I'm wondering if this person sent multiple assassins out after you."

"I thought this new attack was too quick after the last, that I did. No spy, then."

"Doesn't seen that way, now."

Saito left to get his comrades in the police to clean up the mess. The failed assassins that were alive were hogtied and set by the gate. The dead were left to lay. Kenshin retired to his room, where he wrote down his to-do list for the next day. Sanosuke grumbled about the bloody grass, missing the fight, and his growling stomach, then went back to his room and fell asleep. Kaoru and Yahiko, who could not sleep, sat on the porch step, talking about idea of getting real swords. The police came, picked up the bodies, and left. Saito had stayed at the station, but told the officers to let the people at the dojo know that he planned on being back before dawn. Midnight came and went, and the moon had begun its travels back down to the horizon. They continued to camp out, too wound up to sleep.

"Man, Kaoru! This is going to be so cool! I get to have my own sword! I won't Kenshin down! He'll be proud of me!"

"I'll have to train you how to use it, though."

"No, you won't ugly!"

"Why, you little . . ." A dust cloud sprang up, and every couple of seconds the man who watched them could see fists and a bokken popping out of it. He decided to continue on with his plan. He stepped forward to the gate and opened it.

The creak of the hinge hit the pause button on the fight. Kaoru and a battered Yahiko stared at the man standing in the open gateway. The moonlight reflected off of his jet black hair, tied in a high ponytail. His haori and hakamas were solid black, and three swords hung at his hip, tied in a black obi. Except for the black everything, this man looked just like Kenshin.

'_It can't be . . . how did they already know?'_ Kaoru bit her lip, starting to get very nervous. Kenshin was still here, but how long would it take to get him? Would it be fast enough to keep from getting killed?

"HEY! What are you doing here?" Yahiko stood and brandished his shinai. Before Kaoru could stop him, he started towards the newcomer, who just stood there. As Yahiko neared him, he realized that not only did he look like his friend, this new man was no taller than him, too. Closer still, the boy noticed that the all black clothes were actually a purple top and black bottoms, with a dark green obi. Yahiko stopped just short of the guy, seeing that the swordsman made no moves towards his swords. "What are you doing here?" The man had been looking down, but now he glanced up through his dark bangs. Yahiko froze. His eyes . . . gold. Hitokiri eyes! Yahiko stepped back, bringing his shinai to bear on the man. "You're not another assassin after my friend Kenshin, are you? 'Cause if you are, I, Myojin Yahiko, will beat you down where you stand! Bring it on!" He shifted into a Kamiya Kasshin Ryu defensive stance, wishing that Aoshi-san had already brought the swords. But he did not get the reaction he had been expecting.

'_Another assassin? Oh, man, this asshole hired more than just ME? Now, that's just plain rude. Oh well. Change in plans. The truth is best at this point._' The man stepped back, showing his hands to the boy who looked ready and willing to beat the shit out of him. The eyes had scared him, but not enough. This is definitely where Kenshin is staying.

"I'm very sorry, Myojin-sama. I am not an assassin, not really. I am sorry to disturb you all so late, but I heard that Himura-san lived here, and I am here to warn him of a plot. You see, the man who is after him hired me to kill Himura-san."

"So you ARE!"

"No, no! I didn't refuse, per say, but I didn't accept, either. It's actually a very long story that could last a few hours. I'd rather not tell it though, unless necessary."

Wait. The boy is still in a swordsman's stance . . . a damned familiar one, at that. The man quickly stepped back through the gate and glanced at the sign hanging outside it. KAMIYA KASSHIN RYU DOJO. MASTER KAMYIA KAORU, SENSEI.

'_Holy shit,_' thought the man, '_what sort of fate brings me to the same dojo that one of my greatest revolutionary enemies' daughter teaches? Wow.'_

He stepped back through the gate to meet a confused Yahiko and an incensed woman. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Your sword-style, Myojin-sama?"

Yahiko smiled. "Damned right!"

He nodded. "Okay. Listen, young man. I am going to be a friend to you all. I have very important information for Himura-san. I need to get it to him. He will know what to do from there, unless he goes entirely postal. Then, I'm afraid that the whole world is going to go bye-bye. Himura-san is extremely frightening when angry. Believe me, I would know."

Kaoru just stood there, next to her student. "We already know about the assassins, Mister - "

"Katamori."

" - Katamori-sama."

"Oh. But do you know _who_ is sending the assassins?"

Kaoru and Yahiko glanced at each other. Katamori nodded. "That's what I thought. Now, is Himura-san here? I would like to see him."

Yahiko was about to say something when Kaoru spoke. "Yes, and he would also be able to tell if you are lying to us. So come with us, and I will make some tea. Yahiko will fetch Kenshin, and you can tell him all about it." With that, Kaoru spun on her heel and led them to the dojo.

Once inside, Kaoru made tea while they waited for Kenshin to arrive. Katamori stood just inside the dojo training room, looking at the wall of students. When Kaoru walked in with the tea, he turned to her.

"This dojo doesn't have many students." Kaoru noticed that his voice was higher than most men's. Much like Kenshin's. Wow.

She sighed. "No. We had an incident a while back, and they all ran. Now I have some new ones, thanks to Kenshin."

He stared hard at this girl. "You are the master?"

"Yes. When my father died in the Seinan War, I took over as the master of this dojo. He taught me his sword-style."

Katamori smiled. "Yes. Your father was a great man, and a good fighter. I am sad to hear that he died."

Kaoru paused. "You . . . knew my father?"

"Well," the man scratched his head, "actually, I was Shinsengumi, and your father was a revolutionary in the Bakumatsu. Saito-kun and he got into it a couple of times, with Saito-kun getting his ass whooped each time. It's a powerful style, something that I thought about learning, but I already have a very good style at my back."

"Which is?" Kaoru was excited to learn that not only did that man Saito had been beat twice by her father, but a true swordsman was interested in learning her style. Wait . . . Saito-KUN?

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."

Kaoru froze. _Hiten Mitsurugi_? That was Kenshin's style!

The door to the dojo opened just then, admitting Yahiko and Kenshin.

The latter was looking down at a piece of parchment paper as Yahiko talked. " . . . and this guy says that he knows you and that he wants to warn you about the assassins, and he says that he knows who is trying to kill you . . . " Kenshin looked up and froze dead.

"KATSUKI!"


	6. Chapter Four: Memories of Chaos

**Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN RUROKEN!**

**Chapter Four: Memories of Chaos**

Yahiko stopped just behind the red head. "So you know him too?"

Kaoru just stared helplessly at Kenshin, who looked as though he had seen a ghost. His mouth worked desperately to form words, but nothing came out. 'Katsuki' Katamori ('_Wow, what an odd name for a man,'_ Yahiko thought) smiled and waved.

"Himura-san! Long time no see, friend!" _'Wait, Kenshin had a _friend _in the Shinsengumi?' _Kaoru thought.

Kenshin's violet eyes widened, and he walked forward until he stood nose to nose with the man.

"Is it really you?"

"Yeah! Isn't it great! I'm here to save you from the - "

Kenshin decked him.

Sanosuke came out of his room in time to get bowled over by the newcomer. They landed in a confused pile of clothes in the dojo. "What -?"

Katsuki got up, groaning. "Well, I suppose - oof!" He never finished his sentence because Kenshin tackled him to the ground and wrapped his small hands around the guy's neck.

" . . . bitch! You BITCH! How dare you even show your face here!" He socked the guy.

"Or maybe not a friend," Kaoru mumbled, then caught herself. Hold on. Did Kenshin call the man a bitch? Huh? She looked hard at the man laying beneath Kenshin on the floor, the man getting beaten now. He caught Kenshin's wrists and held off further attacks. They were both breathing hard. Kenshin's shoulders were shaking.

"Why?" He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't look at Katsuki. "You're alive. Why didn't you tell me. I thought you were killed, that I did. I thought that's why you stopped showing up at our spot!" He sat up on Katsuki's hips and wrenched his arms away from the man's grip. "I looked for you everywhere, that I did. Not a damned trace! How dare you! After all these years!" He took a full swing and connected with Katsuki's chin. The man squeaked. Sanosuke's eyebrow raised at that.

"OW! That one hurt!"

"It had better! That's what you get!"

Yahiko also thought it odd that not only is a man named KatSUKI, but that the man's voice was even higher than Kenshin's alto. He looked hard at the man, and his eyes settled on his chest. Something was off there . . . wait. Yahiko looked again at the heaving chest. There! There were swells that were accented every time Katsuki took a breath. Breasts? Oh, Kami. Kenshin was beating up a girl! "Kenshin, stop hitting her! Leave her alone!"

Kaoru gasped, and Sanosuke's eyes bulged. Kenshin, on the other hand, did stop, but he stayed right where he was. Katsuki smiled. "Perhaps you should have used my Bakumatsu name, Katsuke, instead of Katsuki."

"Just shut up." Kenshin shook his head. "You aren't trying to hide anymore?"

Katsuki shrugged. "Why bother? The war is over, Kenshin. Sure, I also fought in the Seinan, but shit. Now it's so normal for me to be Katsuke. I'm a man. Makes things simpler. Men don't look at other men."Somehow, Kaoru thought of that last statement as being very telling. '_This man/woman is trying to tell Kenshin something_,' she thought. '_An explanation, maybe?' _

Kenshin caught it, too. He looked down at his captive. '_There is something she is not telling me, that she isn't. Why is she afraid? Does she think that I would think less of her for it?' _He mentally slapped himself. _'Of course, you baka! We are equals. If something got to her, but not to me, of course she would think that you would find her less of an equal. Shit. I need to get her to talk to me, that I do.'_ He got off of her, and Katsuki stood up and brushed her hakamas off.

"Well, maybe I picked the wrong time to come back, Kenshin. Your emotions must be reeling right now. I'll come back another time. Sayonara, now."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Kenshin and Katsuki turned to look at Kaoru. She looked pissed. "Katsuki, you said that you had information for Kenshin about his attackers. You are not going anywhere until you tell him. Both of you are going to sit, drink tea, and talk. Catch up on each other's lives, and figure out just what the hell happened. Then, you are going to stay the rest of the night and sleep. At the crack of dawn, you are going to begin training in Kamiya Kasshin Ryu!"

Katsuki turned to stone. Kenshin's jaw dropped. "ORO!"

Kaoru whacked him over the head with her bokken. "That's enough out of you, Kenshin!"

"Orororororo . . . " Kenshin went swirly-eyed.

Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, Kenshin, and Katsuki sat at the table, drinking tea like good little kids. The newcomer sat across from Kenshin, and sat with one of her swords up against her shoulder like him. Of course, she had to shift her other long sword in order to sit right. Yahiko watched her with curiosity.

"So . . . a swordswoman? You really fought in the Bakumatsu? They let you?" Kaoru had many questions, so Kenshin sat quietly as Katsuki graciously answered them as simply as possible. His mind, though, reeled with all of this . . . chaos. First, his memories come back. Then, someone tries to kill him. As far as he knows, they are still trying. NOW he's got an old enemy showing up after more than ten years, saying that she knows the why and who. He shook his head and drank more tea. All of this sounded very peculiar. _'Should I trust Katsuki? Should I trust . . . anyone?'_ He noticed that it had gotten quiet again. He opened his eyes and looked at Kaoru. She looked at him back, and shrugged. Yahiko opened the next round of questions.

"Hey, what about your swords? Why do you carry so many?"

Katsuki took a drink of tea and smiled. "My swords? Well, they are a special set made for me by a sword-smith I knew during the war. These are called the 'Dragon Flight' swords. Specifically made for Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." Sanosuke blinked in shock. '_There are swords made for Hiten Mitsurugi? What are the differences between a normal one and a special made sword?"_

She shifted the sword on her shoulder so she could pull the wakazashi out of her obi, then handed it to Yahiko reverently. "That one is 'Song of the Dragon'. Obviously, it is a wakazashi. But see the pure silver inlays in the form of a dragon? This one could be a showpiece if it hadn't been christened in the blood of revolutionaries and enemies alike. It is extremely beautiful, just like the songs of the dragons of lore." She motioned Yahiko to hand 'Song' to Kaoru, who took it gingerly. Knowing that this blade had killed made it feel dirty. She sighed, and Katsuki saw it. _'This is a girl who can not kill at all, and despises the thought of it.'_

"Yes, 'Song' has seen its shares of bloody nights in Kyoto, that's for sure. And so has my katana. This one," she grabbed the hilt of the long sword on her hip, "is 'Fang of the Dragon'. This sword saved my life and the lives of countless others during the hellish fires of the Bakumatsu." She removed the sword from her obi and held it horizontally. Taking a deep breath, she slid the blade out of its sheath about halfway, so Kenshin could see the very slight damage the blade has taken over the years. "Despite being in pristine condition, even the best swords carry scars that will never heal, as do the wielders." She nodded pointedly at the red headed swordsman across the table from her. "Fang is my best companion, my savior and my undoing." She tilted the blade so that it caught the candlelight, reflecting her eyes on one side and Kenshin's on the other. He caught his reflection on the katana, and started when he saw just how haunted he looked. Then the reflection disappeared as Katsuki slid the blade back into its sheath and put it back into her obi. She smiled a quick apology. "Sorry for pulling 'Fang' in such close company."

"What about the other one, Katsuki-san?" Kenshin paused, swirling the tea in his cup thoughtfully. He felt eyes on him, and he sighed. "This one can speak, he just did not have much to contribute to the conversation, that he did not. But continue, please. What of the third sword? This one remembers you only carrying two swords in the war. Why the addition?" '_Good, he's back to using _this one _again,_' Kaoru thought.

Katsuki smiled. "Kenshin-san, you have a great memory. I had this one," she patted the sword braced against her shoulder lightly, "made after I left the killing fields and began searching for redemption." She brought the blade forward. "This is now my main sword. 'Spirit of the Dragon'. This is the one that now carries me through the dawn of the new era that we all helped to create, both Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi." Her green eyes glinted gold as she passed 'Spirit' across the table to Kenshin. He took it, marveling at the weight and balance. '_It feels just like my own sword, that it does. It feels . . . right.' _"Kenshin-san, when I left Kyoto, I left knowing that there would be no place for murderers in the Meiji era. But I couldn't just lay down my swords and become a tame puppy. I still needed to do things. I had to protect. So I had this sword made, the same way 'Fang' and 'Song' were made. All three blades hold up well with the power of Hiten Mitsurugi. They stay on my hip, and always will stay. But unlike the others, 'Spirit' has never seen a drop of blood, yet it has seen many battles. Go ahead, Kenshin-san. Draw it."

Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko held their breath as the man closed his eyes, took a breath, and drew the blade. When he opened his eyes again, they bugged along with everybody else's in the room save for Katsuki's.

"Holy shit, it's a - "

"Oh wow, a - "

"Kenshin, it's a - "

Kenshin's sudden smile warmed the room. "No wonder this one was able to draw. Glad to see someone else also carries a sakabato, that he is." He stood with grace and backed away from the table, putting distance between him and the others. With a quick flick of his wrist, 'Spirit' whipped across his body, flashing in the candlelight. His wrist rolled smoothly, and his face seemed calm as he brought it back around and sheathed it. "It's a very good sword. Perhaps your sword-smith would make me one." He handed the sakabato back to her. "This one wants to talk with you. Come with him to the river." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Sanosuke shook his head as Katsuki got up. "Kenshin is a strange one, that's for sure!"

"Don't I know it." The woman smiled. "Well, do you want to know more about me or what?"

Sanosuke and Yahiko stood up and made their way out the door. Katsuki turned to Kaoru. "What about you?"

Kaoru smiled. "I need to stay behind and clean up. Go on. I'm sure that you and Kenshin have a lot to catch up on."

"That we do, young one. That we do."

Like she said, Kaoru began cleaning as soon as they left. She didn't want to stay behind; she still wanted to know more about what the hell was going on.

"Oh, who are you kidding, Kaoru! You really want to know about this piece of Kenshin's past, this . . . Katamori Katsuki. All you do know is that he is a she, was a he, he/she was Shinsengumi and Kenshin's enemy/friend/whatever . . .Oh, and she is interested in Kamiya Kasshin Ryu! But . . . oh, I'm getting a headache just thinking about it! What is going on here? Here we are again, thrown into another whirlwind conspiracy! Things have sure been interesting since Kenshin came to Tokyo!"

"Do you always talk to yourself or is this something new?"

Kaoru's ponytail stuck straight up and she tipped over onto the table as Saito walked into the room. He held his sword in his hands and smiled at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Want help cleaning up?"

Kaoru fumed. "Yes. That would be great."

Saito nodded and picked up the table. "I saw the so called Kenshin-gumi leaving for the river." He sighed. "Katsuki is with them."

Kaoru paused. "Is that . . . bad?"

"Well, it means that she's disobeying someone, that is for certain. The only reason she's around Tokyo is that she's an assassin for the government."

The dishes clattered to the floor. "What! She LIED! All of that was a lie?"

Saito held up a hand. "No, calm down. You need to know how an assassin works, girl. Kenshin can tell you this. An assassin never spends time talking to his targets. He kills them outright. If she's here talking to you guys and not making any moves to kill any of you, then that means that . . . oh, shit." Saito stood up with the broken cups. "She was hired by the man who wants Kenshin dead."

Kaoru suddenly got nervous. "Yeah, that's what she told Yahiko. But she left with them!"

"Kaoru. No one can kill Kenshin by a river. Believe me, we have tried. This is his little way of making sure that he can't get attacked." He walked to the doorway. "Besides, Katsuki can't kill Kenshin. It's impossible for her to do so."

"Why?"

Saito smirked. "Well, make some more tea, girl. We have quite a bit of talking to do. You want to know why Katsuki can't kill Kenshin? You need to know the story."


	7. Chapter Five: Fields of Blood

**Chapter Five: A Field of Blood**

The river rushed by, swollen by the rains. Kenshin and Katsuki stood in the moonlight, calmly regarding each other. Sanosuke and Yahiko, at the behest of the red head, had stayed up on the walkway. The two friends stayed within earshot, and heard the conversation clearly.

"So. What this one really wants to know now, since we have caught up with the last ten years of our lives, is this: why did you stop coming to our spot? This one really thought that someone had killed you, that he did. The sadness he felt didn't go away for a long time. So why?"

Katsuki hung her head. "It comes down to this. Well, I guess you couldn't have known, anyway. We really couldn't talk about our secret meetings; our respective groups would have flipped the shit!" She laughed. "The night of the full moon, that night, I will never forget. I had just made a kill, and I wanted to wash up before visiting my own little hitokiri. I just knew that if you saw me covered in as much blood as I was that you would have freaked. So I went down to the well on the street behind Tanaka's geisha house and started to scrub." She shrugged. "If I hadn't been so concerned about you, I would have heard the men behind me. But I didn't . It was an old comrade - turned - enemy of yours, Chizo. He and his little group of friends snuck up behind me, attacked me, raped me, and left me for dead outside the damned geisha house." She shook her head. "And after I recovered and got my revenge, I couldn't face you. We were equals, until those bastards took away my self-image and respect. I no longer wanted to live after what they did to me. They destroyed me, Kenshin. I didn't want you to see that. I told myself that I never wanted to see you again, because I would have had you kill me."

"This one is sorry he wasn't there to stop them, to prevent this from happening." Kenshin looked down. "Sometimes this one wonders if he had been fighting on the right side, that he does."

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Kenshin-san. There's no point. It's over, done and over. I got mine. And there was no 'right side'. We were fighting for our ideals. That's all. Both sides had their bad apples." She looked around. "Why did we come all this way for that? We could have talked at the dojo."

"Katsuki, this one knows that you are an assassin. He also knows that you were hired to kill this one. Yahiko said as such."

"Man, that kid. . . too smart, that one!"

"This one just had to make sure that you were not going to try something at the dojo. This one would do whatever it took to keep the others out of his fights, if he can."

"So, we came to the riverbank. I know full well that every person you took on by the river in Kyoto died. No one can fight you by a river. That's what they call suicide." Katsuki shrugged. "Besides, we can't fight anyway."

"True. . ."

"Kenshin and Katsuki were on opposite sides. They were enemies. The Shinsengumi was having a hell of a time dealing with the Hitokiri Battosai. He was too fast for us, and cut through us like paper. Only the team captains of Units One, Two, and Three could take him on, and as you saw once, it was never pretty. We had nothing to counter him with. Fifteen years old, and he was slaughtering adults. We were out of options. Then we found a young boy wandering into our camp one night. That boy was Katamori Katsuke, as he called himself. The sight was amazing. He walked straight through us, covered in blood. I'm not even sure he was seeing anything. He had a battered old katana, that had seen better days a hundred years earlier, clutched in a death grip. Seemed he had ran into a gang of bandits. We ran to find them, only to come upon a field of blood. He had ran into them, alright. He also left none alive. To make a long story short, we recruited him to kill Battosai, because we saw him who had slaughtered 30 men by himself as a perfect weapon!"

Saito and Kaoru sat on the floor of the dojo, drinking tea. The former Wolf smiled. "He made a perfect Wolf, with a will of steel. But to say that our plans to kill Battosai failed miserably would be an understatement. We thought for sure that we had him. We followed him to the alley that he would be working, sprung the trap, and sent in Katamori. What followed could only be called insanity."

"What happened?"

Saito shrugged. "Nothing."

Kaoru leaned forward. She wasn't sure she heard correctly. "Nothing?"

"Yep. Nothing. Now, Battosai had to have know who Katamori was. I mean, we had him in our uniform! So that wasn't the problem. We were confused. Then the ki blast hit us." He shivered at the memory. "The whole world stopped. We realized that something was wrong with our plan . . ."

"Do you remember our first encounter?" Kenshin looked at Katsuki.

"Yes. Oh, wow, was that a rush! It was my first time facing one person, and I couldn't believe it. I couldn't move! Not out of fear, no. I wasn't afraid! No, it was because you could read me like I read you."

"That is why this one couldn't make a move against you either. It was like reading from the same book, that it was. This one felt like if he even so much as moved an eyebrow, you would do the same. We were equals. . . "

"True, unadulterated equals. Hike-san is worlds away from Kenshin in power because of his size difference. But these two could be identical twins. Height, weight, everything . . . including their sword style. Since they could predict each other's moves, neither one could make a move without the other knowing. So they were frozen in place. The truth unfolded right then and there: They would never be able to fight. They shook with the need to fight, the adrenaline rushes and will to fight were there, but they just couldn't move. They could not even draw their swords. That was the first time I had seen something like that, but as we retreated with Katamori, I knew that it wasn't going to be the last . . ."

"You know something, Kenshin-san? I didn't want it to end there. I was a swordsman. I just had to try to fight you again. I wanted to prove to Saito-kun that I could do it. So I kept seeking you out, but always walked away, bewildered. You became my sole target for a whole year! But it just never happened. We couldn't fight. To each other, we were wide open, no matter how we hid our ki."

"This one could not believe it, either. Never had he ran into something like that. But now it's different." He smiled and turned to look at the raging river. "This one went back to his Shishou and learned the succession technique to defeat not only Shishio, but also the hitokiri lurking beneath the surface. It sounds like you need to find a reason to live again, that you do."

Katsuki sighed softly. "Actually, no."

"Oro?"

"I used to throw my whole life away behind Fang after the hell I went through because I thought I could no longer protect people, so why bother? So I began killing for killing's sake, and I became a hitokiri. Yet I understood, unlike you, that the hitokiri inside was part of me. Part of who I am. But that is done, now." She smiled at her enemy / friend. "Now, I find that Himura Kenshin could use some protection. I have found a reason to live again."

"Good. This one is glad to hear that, that he is." He turned back, Sanosuke and Yahiko gasped. His eyes blazed gold in the darkness, lit by the full moon. "This one is no longer the soulless, hollow husk of a man that he used to be, that he is not. He has learned to live again, to love again. And for that love, he has embraced the hitokiri inside once again, to do what he should have done a long time ago, that he has."

Sanosuke's eyes shot wide open. _'No way! He can't still be talking normal, not with those eyes! Wow . . . Kenshin _is_ the Hitokiri Battosai. _This_ is the man that the Ishin Shishi praised as the strongest! This is the _true_ Battosai!'_

Yahiko stood. "This can't be happening! He's reverting to the Battosai!"

"No, kid. He IS the Battosai. This is the real hitokiri. He's the one that protected the weak. The one with a soul, the one that feels for his victims. This is not the murderer, but the protector!" Sanosuke stared in awe. "Wow."

"Yeah . . . wow." Yahiko echoed.

Kenshin, meanwhile, walked up to Katsuki with his hand extended. "Will you join the fight? This one will need all the help he can get, that he will."

Katsuki nodded. "We are alike, Kenshin-san, more than I ever imagined."

Yahiko ran down the hill, Sanosuke dead on his heels. "Kenshin!"

The two swordsmen turned towards the running boy. "What is it, Yahiko?" Kenshin's features softened to a worried frown. Yahiko halted just in front of the man.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Yahiko. I am - "

THWUCK! Kenshin's eyes flew wide and he looked down at an arrow fletching protruding from his right shoulder. "Shit."

"Everyone down! Archers!" Katsuki grabbed Yahiko and pulled him with her into the grass as Kenshin and Sanosuke dropped to the ground. The wild haired man crawled over to his friend, who was examining his wound.

"Kenshin, are you alright?"

The red head sucked in a breath through clenched teeth as he tugged the shaft lightly. "I've had much worse, that I have. It is in soft tissue, and it went straight through. Sano, break the arrowhead off near the top."

The man did as he was told, being careful not to further injure Kenshin. As soon as the metal was gone, Kenshin gripped the feathers and pulled straight out, hissing as the shaft reversed its course through his shoulder. When it was out, he threw it down and glanced at the wound.

"It's not bad. The bastard missed, that he did." His hard look returned. "Stay down!"

Sano obeyed. Crawling quickly, Kenshin moved to where Katsuki and Yahiko lay. "Tell me you have a plan, Katsuki-san."

"Kenshin-san, it's fucking archers. How in hell am I supposed to have a plan against archers?"

Yahiko stared at Kenshin, plainly frightened. "I-I-I don't even know where that came from!"

"I think I do. I was facing the riverbank, northeast. The archers are in the trees. Fifty meters away, at least." Kenshin felt his brain settle into battle mode. Yahiko yelped as an arrow pierced the ground near his face, nicking a cheek. Kenshin grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him closer. "Yahiko, keep a clear head. Focus! Go back and tell Sano to . . . no. Scratch that. _You_ need to get back to the dojo and warn Kaoru-dono and Saito. Tell Saito to get here as soon as he can, because we may need the help, that we will. Stay at the dojo with Kaoru-dono and protect the property." He grabbed 'Song' out of Katsuki's obi, drawing a small mumble of ascent. He shoved it into Yahiko's small hands. "Take this, and do not hesitate if you are attacked. Stay with Kaoru-dono." He gave the boy a small shove just as an arrow pierced the reeds and pinned Katsuki's hakamas to the dirt.

"Shit, Kenshin-san, they're getting our range!"

"They've HAD our range. They're trying to flush us out, that they are." He glared at Yahiko, who had froze. "GO, Yahiko!" He leaped up and drew his sword, gaining the attention of the archers.

Yahiko ran in a zing sag pattern to throw off the aim, and as soon as he judged Yahiko to be out of range for the bow, Kenshin dropped once more. He looked from Katsuki to Sanosuke. "This could be a problem. I couldn't tell if there are swordsmen out there. They could be anywhere. The grass and reeds are too high."

"Well, I think that there are only one or two archers, Kenshin-san. There is too much time between arrows for any more." She rubbed the cut that the arrow had caused on her shin. "Damn it all. I was not trained for this!"

"Neither was I. But we need to be ready for anything." Kenshin looked to Sanosuke. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But from the looks of things, we are definitely trapped. An Ishin Shishi hitokiri, a Shinsengumi hitokiri, and an Sekihotai, trapped together in a kill zone. This night just gets better and better." The grumbling made Kenshin smile. The look from Katsuki told him that she had not known that Sano was Sekihotai. Fine by him. He lifted his sword just a bit, just to see if there was anyone coming towards them - SHIT!

"MOVE!" He screamed at his friends and dove just as a sword came crashing through the reeds. He rolled and landed in a battojutsu crouch. Quickly sheathing his sword, he readied for his attack. Suddenly, out of the commotion he heard Katsuki scream.

"KYAAH!" She had unleashed 'Fang' in her own attack. "Hiten Mitsurugi: Soryusen!" Her blade sliced right through the attacker and the sheath knocked the top part of his torso off of his hips. Blood splashed her and Sanosuke. Another assassin cam up behind the brunette, but he whipped around and punched the guy into the river, the swift current taking the assailant away.

Kenshin barely had time to draw his sword once more before he was beset with attackers. He braced against one attack as he back kicked another to avoid a sword in the back. The first man swung again and Kenshin blocked, driving the man back a few steps. The man he had kicked came back for more, only to be cut down by Katsuki. She stepped back and suddenly Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi were back to back, fighting off attacker after attacker. Kenshin shook his head. _'What madness!'_ His first target barreled forward with a thrust attack that the red head easily sidestepped and then launched into his attack.

"Hiten Mitsurugi: Ryukansen!" His kiai could be heard across the field as he spun and buried his sword into the man's back, breaking the spine audibly. _'Come with something more than Saito's Gatotsu, please.' _Not one second passed before he was again in battle. _'Thank Kami I got Yahiko out of here.'_ Kenshin thought. He saw his friend Sano holding his own, knocking out one, then two men with his punches and kicks, and throwing another man into the river.

Katsuki roared as she attacked, slashing though her assailants with the ease of a practiced killer. Blood flew through the air and splattered the three combatants like red war paint. _'I'm glad Kenshin got the kid out of here. I just hope he's okay. A wakazashi is not an ideal weapon against a katana, but he's too small for our swords.'_ She blocked an attack and threw her opponent back, then leaned in to slash open the man's gut. The next man to attack ended up missing half his head. _'How many have I killed? Six? And they are still coming. Shit.'_ She spared a glance to Sano to see he was okay, then made quick eye contact with Kenshin. A scream rent the air, and she turned to catch the sword coming down at her head. A quick turn of Fang deflected the sword, and the man lost his life next as the katana came down and cut him shoulder to groin. As he dropped, Katsuki smiled, but not with happiness. '_Make that seven.' _

Soon, the blood soaked the ground at their feet, making the earth muddy. They stood back to back, and the odds were still terrible.

"How many did you get, Sano," Katsuki growled.

"Uh, five or six."

"And you, Kenshin-san?"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Ten."

"I'm up to fifteen. That's, what, twenty? How the hell did that bastard get enough together for this!?"

"That doesn't matter, guys! What matters is that we are still in deep shit! We are surrounded, now! There's too many!"

"That we are, Sano. Shit!" Kenshin blocked another slash. He had a bloody gash on his left arm and Katsuki blinked blood out of her eyes. "We need room!" He pushed the man back. Faster than he could move, a sword came out of nowhere and scored a gash across his ribs. Cursing loudly, he jumped back. "God DAMN IT, we need ROOM!"

"Kenshin!" Katsuki yelled. They were passed politeness now. "Switch with me!" She pulled 'Spirit' and shoved 'Fang' into the red head's hands. "You have the most. Use it!" She turned and blocked a sudden thrust. Kenshin sheathed his sakabato and grabbed behind him, pulling the scabbard of 'Fang' out of her obi. He sheathed it.

"Sano! Get between us now!" The wild haired man complied, and immediately found himself bracketed by two swords in the Battojutsu position. _'Oh shit.'_ Sano stood in awe as the two hitokiri launched their simultaneous attacks.

"Hiten Mitsurugi: Battojutsu!"

'_Wait! Kenshin has the katana! He's gonna kill for the first time in eleven years!_

Sano's eyes widened as he watched his friend. Time seemed to slow, but Sano realized that in all the times he has seen Kenshin use Battojutsu, never had it been this fast.

Ever.

In a split second, they had their room.


	8. Chapter Six: The Strength of Youth

**Chapter Six: The Strength of Youth**

Saito smashed his cigarette out on the tray Kaoru provided him. He leaned back and took another drink of his tea.

"In time, we found out more and more about our own little hitokiri. The reason he couldn't fight Battosai was because they had the same sword style, which focuses on reading the opponent's moves; so, in essence, they could predict each other's moves even more accurately. Katsuke, who we called Katsu for short, opened up more as he got to know us, especially Okita-kun and me. He told us that his family had been slaughtered, his entire village destroyed, while he was away training with his master. He said that it was the bandits who did it; the same bandits that he had 'ran' into, he actually hunted down and destroyed. He also had another, even more shocking, secret that he was able to hide for a long time. Her real name was Katamori _Katsuki_. 'He' was actually a 'she'."

"When did you find out?"

"Okita-kun and I were walking down to the waterfall to wash when we found Katsuke bathing. We didn't think anything of it until he turned around and screamed. The scream was enough, but we also saw his body, _her_ body, and that was that. The secret was out. But we really liked her. She was an amazing swordsman, and a very capable fighter when it came to hand to hand combat. We promised her that we would never tell. And we didn't. Okita-kun took that secret to his grave." Saito lit another cigarette and drank more tea. "It took some getting used to, but eventually, I began to think of her as a little sister, and began calling her 'Suki' in intimate conversations. In front of the men, I still called her 'Katsuke-san'. Somehow, that was much easier, to think of her as a man. Maybe because women really didn't have a place in such terrible conditions as war."

"You didn't hate her for lying?"

"No. Sometimes, in order to do what you have to do, you must be prepared to change the truth to suit. To tell the truth, knowing that she was a woman endeared her to me even more. For a woman to have the strength, stamina, and willpower of a man; and be able to fool people for so long, not only lying to them but to herself as well; that had to be excruciating. To have the guts to do what she did day in and day out, that in itself was amazing. You can't hate someone that cunning and deliberate. You just can't. You have to admire them for their tenacity. Besides, she was too damned good! That woman was amazing. She still is - "

"SAITO! KAORU! HELP!"

The two were up in a matter of seconds. "That was Yahiko!" Kaoru grabbed her bokken, and Saito led the way out the door. When they got outside, they froze. What they saw horrified them. Yahiko was locked in a mortal battle with a much larger man. The wakazashi and his training in swords were the only things saving him, but he was injured and tiring. He was at a severe disadvantage, and the attacker knew it. Another slash came down, and Yahiko blocked, pushing the man off of him. He stepped back, afraid and exhausted.

"NO!" Saito leaned forward in anticipation. "Yahiko! Get into his zone!" He drew his sword and waited.

"What are you doing! Help him!" Kaoru screamed, but Saito ignored her. '_Come on, kid. I know you can do this. Get him!_'

Yahiko heard Saito's yell, and just as his opponent swung his katana, the boy stepped forward under the swing and stabbed the man. It was only a glancing blow that served to enrage the assassin, but it was enough. He stepped back as Yahiko slashed across, like he saw the tall Wolf of Mibu do to Kenshin. The wakazashi cut through cloth and skin, eliciting a scream from his opponent.

Saito smiled, shocked at the move. '_He just imitated my Gatotsu slash!'_

Kaoru, frozen in place by the realization that Saito wanted Yahiko to fight alone, screamed out, "Yahiko, remember Kyoto!"

The boy's eyes narrowed. '_That's right! I kicked two Juppogatana's asses! I can do this!' _He calmed down. No fear.

Focus. That's what Kenshin told him to do. He watched his target's moves. What was he going to do? He saw the arms go up, bringing the katana up to a high hammer strike. There! '_That's IT!' _He readied himself for his next move. As the sword came down, he crossed his arms over his head, and caught the blade between the backs of his hands in his move. "Kamiya Kasshin: Hadome!" His opponent froze, apparently shocked by the move.

Saito stared. '_Wait, that move's familiar . . .'_

"Kamiya Kasshin: Hawatari!" Yahiko twisted the blade away from his head and brought 'Song' down on the man's shoulder, slicing down to the collarbone and through. Blood splashed his clothes as the guy screamed and ran away. Yahiko retained his grip on the wakazashi so it wouldn't go with the fleeing man. He could feel his chest heaving with excursion and pain. Pinpoints of light were swimming in his vision, and he felt faint. But he would stand tall. He defeated his opponent!

Saito came to his side and put a hand on his good shoulder. "Are you okay, kid?"

Then Yahiko remembered the policeman yelling at him. '_Shit, I only won because he told me what to do . . . man, I'm pathetic.' _"Yeah. I guess I almost screwed up there, didn't I?" He shook from the adrenaline rush and the pain.

What Saito said next shocked the boy. "No, you did fine, brat. We'll talk later. Where's everyone else?"

Yahiko's eyes bugged and he went pale. "Oh, Kami! Saito! we got to get back there! We got attacked by archers and swordsmen! Katsuki, Kenshin, and Sano are by the river, you gotta get there now! It's a full on battle! Kenshin got an arrow in the shoulder, but he's okay, But you gotta go now! They are outnumbered. When I left the grass, I turned and saw at least fifty swordsmen!"

Now it was Saito's turn to pale. "FIFTY! God, kid, tell me you are kidding! Shit!" He turned to Kaoru. "We go together. Listen, girl. Kenshin is different, now. You've been eavesdropping on our conversations. If there's that many men . . ."

"I know. He will be forced to do what's necessary to survive. Come on, we have to get there!" Kaoru ran to the gate, Saito and Yahiko following closely.

Kenshin's attack took down seven men. They weren't going to get back up. Ever. Sanosuke couldn't believe it. The sheer amount of blood was horrific, and the amount that ended up on the red head and himself was worse yet. Then he was back, the sounds of battle coming back with a vengeance. The time elapse couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds, but it felt like hours. He realized that his friend was screaming at him. He looked directly into Kenshin's gold eyes.

"What?"

"Oh, Kami-sama! Sano! Shit, get a hold of yourself! Focus! They haven't recovered yet! Attack them with your Futae no Kiwami, damn it!"

"Oh, yeah!" Sano faced the attackers, who were still in shock that their friends were sliced in half right in front of their eyes, and took a deep breath, steadying himself. His eyes flew wide as he reared back and threw all of his strength behind his strike. His kiai rang true, and added power to the fist being driven into the ground at his feet. The earth before him buckled and exploded, throwing at least ten men into the racing currents of the river. "Hope those bastards can swim!"

Kenshin drew his sakabato once more, his need for the katana gone. He handed 'Fang' back to Katsuki, who took it gratefully. "I don't." He turned to Sanosuke. "We now have the advantage. There are still many, but we can manage."

Katsuki grinned, and Sanosuke saw the Wolf of Mibu in her golden eyes and the way her lips peeled back from her white teeth. "Then let's finish this, Battosai." Blood dripped off her chin and into her haori. The blood on Kenshin's hakamas looked like cherry blossoms. Sanosuke smiled in assent, and moved towards his opponents.

Fwwhip-THUCK! Sanosuke screamed and collapsed. "Kenshin!"

The red head whirled and dropped to his friend's side. _'SHIT! I forgot about the god damned ARCHER!' _"Where, Sano?!"

The young man moved his hand. An arrow stuck out of the side of his abdomen at an angle. Kenshin winced and leaned over him, feeling for the arrowhead. No such luck. None could be found. '_Shit!' _"Sano, don't move. It did not go though like mine. It will have to wait - "

"Kenshin! Look out!"

Only quick instincts kept Kenshin from losing his head. He flipped and blocked the attack, but landed on his back on top of Sanosuke, who screamed in agony. "Sorry!" Kenshin growled deep in his chest. The attacker bore down on him. He couldn't get up; the bastard was too heavy and if he tried to use his leg to push, he would hurt Sano further. Kenshin looked at his opponent. The man had to be as big as Gohei. Damn. _'Sure, I beat Gohei, but it was a fair fight, I was unhurt, and I was _standing_. This is not going to be - '_ His thoughts were interrupted as the giant pushed down further. He tried to take all the pressure with his arms, planting his legs on either side of the man beneath him and lifting his shoulders. He spared a quick glance behind him to see if Sano was doing okay, then stole a look above to find Katsuki in a dead serious battle with four men. Then he had to focus on his own battle as the back of his sword touched the bridge of his nose, nicking the skin. Blood immediately rolled into his right eye, and he hissed in discomfort. His arms were shaking terribly, and he wasn't sure just how much longer he could hold the block. "Fuck!" He took a deep breath. '_This guy's much stronger than me . . . Sano, I'm sorry . . .?'_ He suddenly felt strong hands press into his shoulder blades, supporting him. Sano!

"Kenshin . . . " he heard the young man groan. "I'm gonna push you off me!" Kenshin nodded. "Go for it!" He felt his lips skin back into a feral grin. He looked at his giant enemy. "It's going to be a very bad day for you, you son of a bitch, that it will." He braced for his friend's push.

Saito, Kaoru, and Yahiko reached the battle and skidded to a halt. Saito cursed. "You weren't kidding, brat! Shit!"

There were bodies everywhere. He only saw Katsuki as she kicked one guy off her and beheaded another. Then she got tackled and went down, only to flip to her feet and slashed the tackler across the back. Saito's ticked from one end to the other. No sign of either the red head or the bird head. Damn. He ran down to join the battle.

"Where's Kenshin and Sano?" Yahiko mumbled to himself, and followed him, despite Kaoru's screams for him to stay. "I can't stay! I gotta help!" He drew the wakazashi and dove into the grass as an arrow flew over his head. "Holy shit!" He started to crawl, hoping to find more than the dead bodies of his friends. He could hear Saito's kiai as he unleashed his Gatotsu. The sound brought chills to his spine. "That man is very scary." He kept talking to himself, trying to forget the battle going on above his head. That is, until he ran across a head. He threw up, then continued on, too scared to talk anymore.

Kenshin's body shot up as the force of Sanosuke's push sent the assailant stumbling back. The hitokiri inside growled. He saw an opportunity, just like he did with Gohei. He leapt into the air to perform his personal favorite takedown technique.

Kaoru saw Kenshin in midair and smiled. "That giant is done."

"Hiten Mitsurugi: Ryutsuisen!" His kiai rang across the battlefield and froze the giant. His sword crashed down on the man's head. Kenshin was furious enough that the blow cracked the man's skull open, and the mountain crumbled. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Kenshin stood and sheathed his sakabato as he heard Saito and Katsuki finishing up. They did not need him as much as Sanosuke did. He turned to find Yahiko next to Sano, who had passed out from the effort of pushing over four hundred pounds of weight off of himself, all with an arrow in his side. "Yahiko, what the hell are you -" He paused when he saw the state that Yahiko was in. The boy had blood all over him, and his shoulder looked terrible. There were cuts all over, and he seemed very pale; whether from shock, pain, or a combination, he did not know. But his heart still sunk. "Yahiko . . . "

The boy looked up. "Saito had me and Kaoru come with him." Kenshin's head shot up and he looked in Kaoru's direction, and yelled, "For the love of Kami-sama, STAY UP THERE!" The girl obeyed, if only because of his blazing gold eyes and bloody visage. He turned back to Yahiko.

"Before you ask, Kenshin, I'm okay. I had to fight off three. I lost two of them in the alleyways, but the third caught me just outside the gate. Saito and Kaoru let me fight, and I won!" He looked sheepish. "Well, the guy ran away after I stabbed him, but I consider that a win."

Kenshin nodded. "That is indeed a win for you, that it is. But it seems that we all will be in need of Megumi-dono, that's for certain."

"Yeah. I'm tired and still scared. Hey, Sano's waking up!"

Sano grumbled. "I hate getting hurt."

Kenshin fingered the hole in his shoulder, which still wept blood. His ribcage hurt, and he felt a bit faint. "Don't we all. At least we are all alive." He turned to Saito, who had walked up behind the friends. "Where's Katsuki?"

"She's hunting down the archer. Where are your kills? Katsuki showed me hers. I need to know for the report I'm going to have to write up for this little battle of yours."

Sano's eyes met Kaoru's. "Can she hear?"

Saito snorted. "She understands, bird-head. Don't worry about her."

While Sanosuke growled and grumbled obscenities at the Wolf, Yahiko watched as Kenshin turned in a full circle. "Between Katsuki and I, we killed most of the attackers. I don't really have a score card, but I'd have to say I have about eight. The giant was the last, and I cleared away seven before him. There is a man crawling around here with a broken back, which was my doing, that it was. Katsuki definitely killed the most. But Sano here knocked a good twelve or thirteen into the river."

"And with it being so high and fast, I highly doubt that any survived that." Saito sighed. "I guess I'm going to be searching the banks for bodies for the next year. How troublesome."

Kenshin nodded. "It had to be done. All we had were two sakabatos, a katana, and two fists against, what? Thirty? We had no choice in the matter. It was either kill or be killed."

"Yahiko said that at least fifty men were fighting you three."

The red head's eyes bugged. "How . . . never mind. I do not want to know how right now. I want to know who!" He sighed deeply. "This is starting to get a little old, don't you think?"

"Yep." Yahiko bent down to help Sanosuke up, but Kenshin stopped him.

"Don't move him. Saito, come look at this." Saito knelt by Sanosuke and saw the arrow sticking out. "What do you think?" Kenshin took his sword and sliced through the bandages on Sanosuke's abdomen and took his jacket off.

The man reached around and felt for the arrowhead. "Nope. Didn't come through. Sano, stand up please."

With some difficulty, Sano stood, and the tall policeman knelt behind him, examining the bruising on his back. Sanosuke flinched. "If we have him walking to the clinic now, the arrowhead could cause extensive damage to his back muscles, not to mention any internal organs in the area. Sano - "

The young man gasped as Kenshin touched his side.

"I know what you guys are gonna have to do. Just do it. I saw Captain Sagara do it to a comrade of mine before. I'll try to be cooperative. I pride myself on my toughness."

"How close is the head to the surface, Saito?" Kenshin watched as the man prodded Sanosuke's back, earning a tight groan.

Saito shook his head in frustration. "That's the problem. It's not. I don't want to do this. I had to do it for Okita-kun, and it was not fun."

"We have to. Saito, hold him."

Sanosuke growled in pain as the man wrapped his arms up under his armpits and over his shoulders. Saito felt the young man's heart racing. _'I'm sorry, punk.' _

"Okay, Sano.' Kenshin looked sadly at his friend. "We have two options. One is to push, the other is to pull. Either way, they will hear you in Kyoto, that they will." Sano smiled tightly. "What do you want to do?"

"Captain pulled."

"Pull it is, then." Kenshin gripped the fletching. "God damn fucking arrows. Okay. On the count of three." He steadied himself so that he could pull the whole thing out quickly.

"Ready." Sano's voice could barely be heard over the rushing river.

"One." Kenshin yanked as hard as he could, and the arrow came out in one pull. The young man's eyes bugged, and a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. He had bit his tongue in order not to cry out, and it worked.

Saito grabbed the bandages that he had brought from the dojo and covered the ragged wound. Sano felt his knees go weak, and then nothing.


End file.
